. . . on paths of trust, mercy, service, justice and love in its new location
THE CONGREGATION AND friends of the church from the past and present bade farewell to the First Mennonite Church building, as both the church members and the structure will have new beginnings.
The congregation friends of the church from the past and present celebrated the memories and bade farewell to the First Mennonite Church of Mountain Lake building, as both the church members and the structure have new beginnings in a farewell to the building service on Sunday morning, December 27.
A new phase for church members will start next Sunday morning, January 3 as they gather in the Chapel at the Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake for 10:30 a.m. morning worship. Although there is a change in the place of worship, First Mennonite of Mountain Lake will continue to walk the paths of trust, mercy, service, justice and love.
Creating a new church home for themselves in the current building will be Iglesia Pentecostal Hispana Unida (United Pentecostal Hispanic Church).
Shared in a Litany of Release were these thoughts of the congregation and its Pastor Elaine Kauffman:
We have gathered in this, our habitual gathering place, to proclaim God’s faithfulness with gratitude and thanksgiving . . .
. . . With grieving on the part of some, with nostalgia on the part of all, we now release this building into the care of our brothers and sisters of the Pentecostal church who are buying the property.
We release this property with gratitude for all that has been, and with thanksgiving that it continues to be a place where the Lord is to be praised and the salvation of our God proclaimed . . .
Below is photo gallery of the celebration of – and farewell to – the church building:
WORSHIP LEADER MARJORIE Baerg brings the Call to Worship.
IN ADDITION TO honoring the building, the birth of a Savior was celebrated with all joining in with the Mixed Choir on “Joy to the World” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
CHOIR DIRECTOR ELISABETH Harder Schrock leads the gathered singers of the Mixed Choir.
PASTOR ELAINE KAUFFMAN’s message was on the “Path of Service” – of the building and the church building over the years – and into the future.
PASTOR KAUFFMAN, RIGHT, extends a blessing to children and their parents, expressing solidarity in the sacred task of nurturing their children and of representing the community of believers. Blessed were, at left, Matthew and Miranda Harder and their son, Caleb Kasai Harder and at center, Ramont and Elisabeth Harder Schrock and their son, Jonathan Harder Schrock and their daughter, Anna Harder Schrock. With the blessing of this newest generation, the history of these families as a part of First Mennonite reaches back seven generations.
LONGTIME CHURCH MEMBER Gordon Harder shared history of the building and his memories with those gathered at the morning worship.
ERIC BULLER , RIGHT, a native of Mountain Lake, now a pastor at Inman Mennonite Church in Inman Kansas, shared some lighthearted memories of his time “learning the ropes” at First Mennonite with Pastor Lorne Friesen (1985-1990). He also added that he and former church member, Willmar Harder, also a pastor in Kansas – at Buhler Mennonite Church in Buhler – just a few miles away – continue to mentor each other. Willmar Harder is the son of Gordon and Eva Harder of Mountain Lake. At left is Pastor Elaine Kauffman, delighting in hearing about the learning curve of her pastor peer. Buller is the son of Harvey and Esther Buller of Mountain Lake.
MANY HYMNS, CHRISTMAS Carols and other songs of faith have echoed from the church building’s peaked roof to its floor courtesy of the powerful sounds of the organ.
AT THE ORGAN keyboard and pedals for the final time service in the building was Charles Harder of Mountain Lake.
THE VIEW FROM the pulpit after the farewell worship service – pastors notes still on the ledge – looking east out over the pews and up to the stained glass window in the balcony.
MORNING SUN SHINING from the east through the stained glass window showered the sanctuary with color.
FIRST MENNONITE FAITHFUL Margaret Adrian of Butterfield, left, had kind words for Pastor Elaine Kauffman, right, after she conducted the final Sunday morning worship service in the building.
“LET LOVE FLY.” The thought on one of the 17 stained glass windows in the sanctuary that illustrate the different themes of the Anabaptist faith.
PASTOR BRUNO PENNER, center, and his wife, Julia, standing left, of Mountain Lake, were on hand for the farewell to the building. Pastor Penner served the church from 1975-1984. Surrounding the Penners are their son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Cheryl Penner of Blair, Nebraska and their children – the Penner’s grandchildren. Seated front, Dean Penner, left and Pastor Bruno Penner, right. Standing back, from left, Julia Penner, Derek Penner, Dan Penner, Cheryl Penner, Cara Penner and Cayli Penner.
A POTLUCK NOON meal in the church basement was the finale for the morning. Above the kitchen hangs Psalm 119:105 in Low German. Translated it means, ” Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” The sign is a replica of a much larger one that arched across the front of the old church, built in 1911 and used until the current building was constructed. This smaller-size sign one was made by Sherry Pankratz of Mountain Lake for one of the church’s past celebrations.
MANY YEARS OF First Mennonite memories were discussed over the meal. From left, Geneva Stoesz, who grew up in the church and current longtime congregants Leo Harder, Gladys Harder and Esther Fast.
CHECKING OUT THE history, church and high school classmates Jerry Janzen of Eden Prairie, left and Joyce (Nickel) Bucklin of Mountain Lake, right, learned that in 1955 – when the current building was first put to use, and the year they were born – there were 20 other newborns in the nursery in addition to this pair.
TO MY COUSINS – Here is our forefather connection to First Mennonite Church – Elder Gerhard Neufeld – or as I would have called him, Great-Great-Grandpa. He served the church as a pastor from 1878-1909. I learned from Gordon Harder that he had another side. Back in Furstenau, Russia, my great-great-grandfather for a bouncer in a bar. In either occupation, he was trying to keep people on the right path. (He also made his own dandelion wine.) First Mennonite was my home church for the first 20 years of my life.
